With the return of school comes the return of daily backpack wearing. Backpacks are designed with two shoulder straps to distribute weight evenly. Wearing only one strap at a time with the weight of textbooks and laptops can cause shoulder muscle strains and muscle imbalances. Long-term muscle imbalances can leave people, especially young, growing adults, susceptible to long-term injuries such as tendonitis. These injuries can be painful and bothersome to recover from. The best way to avoid these backpack-related issues is to use the backpack as intended. Your shoulders may thank you for it.